Figure toy

ABSTRACT

An animated doll or the like including structure for shifting the center of gravity of the doll so as to cause the same to rock on a convex bottom portion thereof. The exemplary embodiment includes a generally upright figure having a convex bottom and is provided with a movable weighted object. A guide for the object to guide the object in its movement provides an operative interconnection between the object and the figure. A preferred guide is in the form of a spiralled ramp in the figure itself and the object is a spherical weighted ball which may roll down and about the ramp to thereby shift the center of gravity to cause the figure to rock.

[ 1 Jan. 14, 1975 FIGURE TOY [75] Inventor: Robert S. McKay, Morton Grove,

Ill.

[73] Assignee: Marvin Glass Associates, Chicago,

Ill.

[22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 391,946

3,230,662 l/1966 Fuchs 46/43 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Assistant ExaminerJ. Q. Lever Attorney, Agent, or FirmCoffee & Sweeney [57] ABSTRACT An animated doll or the like including structure for shifting the center of gravity of the doll so as to cause the same to rock on a convex bottom portion thereof. The exemplary embodiment includes a generally upright figure having a convex bottom and is provided with a movable weighted object. A guide for the object to guide the object in its movement provides an operative interconnection between the object and the figure. A preferred guide is in the form of a spiralled ramp in the figure itself and the object is a spherical weighted ball which may roll down and about the ramp to thereby shift the center of gravity to cause the figure to rock.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FIGURE TOY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to dolls and, more specifically, to animated dolls.

Dolls or figures or the like have traditionally been an extremely-popular toy with children of varying ages. The already high degree of popularity is further increased when the doll or the figure is of the animated variety.

In animating dolls or figures, many approaches have been taken, a number of which are relatively complicated in terms of requiring motors, linkages, etc. While such proposals have been greeted with a great degree of success, they suffer the same deficiency as virtually all articles or apparatus, namely, that as the degree of complication of mechanism associated therewith increases, the probability of failure of the article or apparatus drastically increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved animated doll. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an animated doll that is extremely simple in construction, particularly, in terms of the means utilized to animate the figure so as to minimize or eliminate the possibility of failure due to mechanical breakdown or the like.

The exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing object in a structure employing a unique animation system which is failure-proof and which can only be disrupted through the destruction of the doll or figure itself. Specifically, a doll or figure made according to the invention employs a figure having a substantial vertical extent and which is provided with a convex bottom on which the figure will rest when placed upon an underlying surface. A movable weighted object is associated with the figure and guide means are provided to operatively associate the object for movement relative to the figure in a predetermined path so as to cause, during movement of the object, a shifting of the location of the center of gravity of the figure to thereby cause the same to rock on the concave bottom.

In the exemplary embodiment, the movable weighted object is a metal sphere and the guide means include a horn-like structure which guides the figure in a spiralled path as the same moves from an upper position to a lower position under the influence of gravity.

The figure preferably is frusto-conical in shape and includes an interior frusto-conical cavity in which the horn is located. The horn includes an exterior spiralled surface which is located in sufficiently close proximity to the interior wall of the frusto-conical figure so that the sphere cannot pass directly downwardly therebetween but is guided in the aforementioned spiralled path which is of increasing radius as the sphere moves from the upper to the lower positions.

The upper end of the horn is provided with an opening having a diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the sphere so that upon inversion of the figure, the sphere may pass through the same to the beginning of the spiral path. Upon reinversion, because of the closeness of the dimensions of the sphere and the opening, the sphere will be directed to the path and moved downwardly along the same under the influence of gravity.

In a preferred embodiment, the spiralled path is provided with a guiding edge having serrations so that a sound is generated as the sphere animates the toy.

If desired, the convex bottom may be provided with a hollow interior and additional guide means for directing the sphere toward the center of the bottom in a spiralled path once the sphere has reached the bottom position to provide further animation.

In a highly preferred embodiment, the body is provided with outwardly extending projections to which are pivotally secured limb simulating structures. Thus, as the figure rocks, the limb simulating structures will move under the influence of gravity relative to the remainder of the figure to enhance the degree of animation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll or figure made according to the invention in an inverted position in which the same is made ready for operation;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the figure as it would appear at a random time in its course of operation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, vertical section of the figure; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the figure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An exemplary embodiment of an animated figure made according to the invention is illustrated in the drawings and with specific reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, is seen to be comprised of four basic elements. The first is a body or figure, generally designated 10, while the second is a bottom, generally designated 12, having a convex undersurface by which the figure 10 is supported on an underlying surface. A third component is a movable weighted object such as a steel sphere or ball, generally designated 14, while the fourth and last basic component is a guide means, generally designated 16, which is operative to guide the sphere 14 from an upper position relative to the figure 10 to a lower position relative to the figure 10 in a predetermined path which causes a change in the position of the center of gravity of the overall assemblage to cause the figure 10 to rock on the convex undersurface of the bottom 12.

Referring now to the figure 10 with greater detail, the -same is seen to be comprised generally of a frustoconical structure 20 having an interior, frusto-conical cavity defined by a side wall 22. The upper end of the figure 10 may be provided with any suitable structure such as a head 24. If desired, the upper end of the frusto-conical structure 20 may be provided with outwardly extending projections 26, each of which mounts a limb simulating structure 28 by means of a pivot pin 30 which thereby provides for movement of the limb simulating structures 28 about a generally horizontal axis. Finally, any suitable portion of the figure 10 may be provided with a plurality of apertures 32 to permit easy transmission of a sound generated with the interior of the figure to the exterior thereof.

Refering now to the bottom 12, the same includes a convex undersurface 34 which is configured, according to the preferred embodiment, as a segment of a sphere, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of other convex configurations could be employed as well.

Like the figure 10, the bottom 12 is provided with a plurality of apertures 36 for the purpose of allowing the transmission of sound generated within the interior of the figure to the exterior thereof.

The inner surface 38 of the bottom 12 is also in the form of a sphere and is provided with an upstanding guide flange 40 for purposes to be seen. The guide flange 40 is spiralled in shape and has a decreasing radius as the center 42 of the bottom 12 is approached from the upper edge 43 of the bottom 12.

The guide means 16 include a horn-like structure 44 having a spiralled ramp 46 on its exterior surface. The configuration of the spiralled ramp 46 is such as to have an increasing radius from the top to the bottom of the horn. The outermost edge of the spiralled ramp 46 is provided with a series of serrations 48 and the horn 44 is so configured that the serrations 48 are sufficiently close to the interior wall 22 of the figure that the sphere 14 cannot pass directly downwardly therebetween but must follow the path defined by the spiralled ramp 46.

The upper end of the horn structure 44 is provided with a central opening 50 which has a diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the sphere l4. Near the lower end of the horn 44 at the end of the spiralled ramp 46 is an opening 52 sized to permit the sphere 14 to pass therethrough.

The animated doll is assembled generally as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the horn-shaped structure 44 providing the guide means 16 within the frusto conical cavity defined by interior wall 22 of the figure 10 and with the bottom of the cavity being closed by the bottom 12. Prior to the closing of the cavity, the sphere 14 is introduced into the interior of the structure. Any suitable means may be employed to secure the structure in the foregoing assembled relationship.

The use of the figure is as follows. Initially, the same will have the general configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 with the sphere 14 resting substantially in the center of the bottom 12. The figure is then inverted as shown in FIG. 1 and, at such time, the sphere 12 will be directed by the interior surface of the horn structure 44 to the opening 50 to pass therebetween, generally into the space between the guide structure 16 and the interior wall 22 of the figure 10.

The figure is then reinverted to initiate operation thereof. Because of the closeness of the relative dimensions of the opening 50 and the sphere 14, there is very little likelihood that the latter will pass through the opening 50 directly down to the bottom 12. Rather, the same will come to rest on the upper extremities of the spiralled ramp 46 and begin, under the influence of gravity to roll down the same. As the sphere 14 rolls down the spiral ramp 46, it will move in contact with the serrations 48 to generate a sound which will be audible to the user of the toy since the sound may pass to the exterior thereof through the openings 32 and 36. During such downward movement of the sphere l4, because the sphere 14 is guided in a spiral path, it will be constantly inoving to a new position relative to the center of gravity of the bottom, the figure, and the guide structure 16 while resting on the latter. This, or course, will change the center of gravity of the overall structure to thereby cause the figure to rock on the bottom 12.

Moreover, because the radius of the spiral path 46 increases from top to bottom, as the sphere 14 progresses downwardly, the change in the position of the center of gravity become more'drastic with the result that an increased rocking movement will result as the sphere 14 moves downwardly on the path 46.

It will also be recognized that since, in the preferred embodiment, the sphere 14 passes about all sides of the center of gravity of the remainder of the assemblage, the rocking movement of the figure will not be confined to a single plane.

Finally, when the sphere 14 reaches the lowermost point of the spiral path 46, it will pass through the opening 52 and then be guided downwardly in a path of decreasing radius to the center of the bottom 12 by the flange 40.

It will also be recognized that during all such movement, because the figure 10 is rocking and the limb simulating structures 28 are free to rotate relative thereto by reason of the horizontal pivots provided by pins 30, the tendency of gravity to cause the limb simulating structures 28 to hand straight downwardly will cause the same to move relative to the body of the figure 10 during rocking movement of the latter. Thus, a high degree of animation is achieved.

It will be recognized from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment thatan animated figure made according to the invention is extremely simple to construct and has, in essence, but a single moving part in the form of sphere 14. As a result, to achieve the rocking movement, no mechanisms or motors or linkages are required so that a figure made according to the invention will always operate properly.

I claim:

1. An animated figure toy comprising: means defining a generally upright, doll-like figure; means providing a ground engaging convex bottom on said figure; a movable weighted object associated with said figure; and guide means secured to said figure for guiding said movable object from a relatively upper position within said figure to a relatively lower position within said figure in a path at least partially non-coextensive with the vertical projection of the center of gravity of said figure, said bottom and said guide means extending to ei ther side of said vertical projection, whereby as said weighted object moves from said upper position to said lower position, said figure will rock on said convex bottom.

2. The animated figure toy of claim 1 wherein said figure further includes outwardly extending projections, each projection movably mounting a limb simulating structure whereby, as said figure rocks, said limb simulating structures will move under the influence of gravity relative to the remainder of said figure.

3. An animated figure toy comprising: an upright, generally frusto-conical structure defining a body, said frusto-conical structure including a frusto-conical internal cavity; a bottom secured to the lower end of said frusto-conical structure, said bottom having a convex lower surface configured as a segment of a sphere; a spherical weighted object within said cavity and guide means for guiding said spherical object between upper and lower positions within said cavity, said guide means including a hollow horn-shaped structure having an exterior surface configured as a spiral of increasing radius from top to bottom, said spiralled surface being located sufficiently close to the internal wall of said frustoconical structure such that said sphere-like object may not pass directly downwardly therebetween, said hornlike structure further having an upper open end having a size just slightly greater than the maximum dimension of said sphere-like object whereby said sphere-like object may be moved from a lower position within said figure to an upper position by inverting said figure to allow said spherical object to pass through said upper opening and whereby reinversion of said figure will cause said spherical object to travel said spiral path downwardly within said figure to cause said figure to rock on said convex bottom surface.

4. An animated figure toy comprising: means defining a generally upright, doll-like figure including an internal cavity; means providing a convex bottom defined by a segment of a sphere on said figure; a movable weighted object located within said cavity;

and guide means located within said cavity for guided said movable object, said guide means including a spiralled structure for guiding said object in a spiral path of increasing radius as said object moves from a relatively upper position relative to said figure to a relatively lower position relative to said figure, said bottom and said guide means, whereby as said weighted object moves from said upper position to said lower position said figure will rock on said convex bottom in a nonplanar fashion and the magnitude of the rocking movement will increase as the object moves from said upper position toward said lower position.

5. The animated figure toy of claim 4 wherein said bottom includes a concave inner surface; and means defining a further spiralled guiding means on said concave surface for guiding said object, once the same has moved downwardly to said bottom in a decreasing radius until the center of said concave bottom is reached by said object.

6. The animated figure toy of claim 4 wherein said object is a sphere and wherein said guide means includes a guiding portion adapted to engage said sphere to guide the same along said path, said guiding portion including a serrated surface whereby movement of said sphere on said guiding means will generate a sound. 

1. An animated figure toy comprising: means defining a generally upright, doll-like figure; means providing a ground engaging convex bottom on said figure; a movable weighted object associated with said figure; and guide means secured to said figure for guiding said movable object from a relatively upper position within said figure to a relatively lower position within said figure in a path at least partially non-coextensive with the vertical projection of the center of gravity of said figure, said bottom and said guide means extending to either side of said vertical projection, whereby as said weighted object moves from said upper position to said lower position, said figure will rock on said convex bottom.
 2. The animated figure toy of claim 1 wherein said figure further includes outwardly extending projections, each projection movably mounting a limb simulating structure whereby, as said figure rocks, said limb simulating structures will move under the influence of gravity relative to the remainder of said figure.
 3. An animated figure toy comprising: an upright, generally frusto-conical structure defining a body, said frusto-conical structure including a frusto-conical internal cavity; a bottom secured to the lower end of said frusto-conical structure, said bottom having a convex lower surface configured as a segment of a sphere; a spherical weighted object within said cavity and guide means for guiding said spherical object between upper and lower positions within said cavity, said guide means including a hollow horn-shaped structure having an exterior surface configured as a spiral of increasing radius from top to bottom, said spiralled surface being located sufficiently close to the internal wall of said frusto-conical structure such that said sphere-like object may not pass directly downwardly therebetween, said horn-like structure further having an upper open end having a size just slightly greater than the maximum dimension of said sphere-like object whereby said sphere-like object may be moved from a lower position within said figure to an upper position by inverting said figure to allow said spherical object to pass through said upper opening and whereby reinversion of said figure will cause said spherical object to travel said spiral path downwardly within said figure to cause said figure to rock on said convex bottom surface.
 4. An animated figure toy comprising: means defining a generally upright, doll-like figure including an internal cavity; means providing a convex bottom defined by a segment of a sphere on said figure; a movable weighted object located within said cavity; and guide means located within said cavity for guided said movable object, said guide means including a spiralled structure for guiding said object in a spiral path of increasing radius as said object moves from a relatively upper position relative to said figure to a relatively lower position relative to said figure, said bottom and said guide means, whereby as said weighted object moves from said upper position to said lower positioN said figure will rock on said convex bottom in a nonplanar fashion and the magnitude of the rocking movement will increase as the object moves from said upper position toward said lower position.
 5. The animated figure toy of claim 4 wherein said bottom includes a concave inner surface; and means defining a further spiralled guiding means on said concave surface for guiding said object, once the same has moved downwardly to said bottom in a decreasing radius until the center of said concave bottom is reached by said object.
 6. The animated figure toy of claim 4 wherein said object is a sphere and wherein said guide means includes a guiding portion adapted to engage said sphere to guide the same along said path, said guiding portion including a serrated surface whereby movement of said sphere on said guiding means will generate a sound. 